If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed this holiday, it’s that Call of Duty: Black Ops II will sell like hotcakes. I’m sure millions of copies will move across the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. But the one platform that… Continue Reading →

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If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed this holiday, it’s that Call of Duty: Black Ops II will sell like hotcakes. I’m sure millions of copies will move across the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. But the one platform that interests me will be the Wii U.
The first-person shooter will be released on the system’s launch day. But the big question for many is Will it be worth it? Should gamers wait a few days longer to get it on the hot, new system instead of the current gen setups?
I had a chance to check out Call of Duty: Black Ops II's multiplayer mode at a recent San Francisco event. The demo I played only featured bots, but it gave me a sense of how the Wii U Gamepad would work. First off, the controls are mostly the same compared with its console peers. Those accustomed to playing on the Xbox 360 or PS3 will have no problem adjusting. There are a few new moves like going prone from a jump.
EASIER TO MAKE A CUSTOM CLASS: The new improvements such as the pick 10 system to create a custom class is there. It simplifies making a soldier that matches your play style. I’ve seen things as normal as two weapons, two grenades, three perks and three attachments to something as radical as a knife and six active perks thanks to a three wild card perks at the bottom.
Second, Treyarch is introducing the concept of leagues to online play. It’s a better way for Black Ops II to assess your skills and put you with a group that matches your skill level. As you improve, you can move up to a higher league, almost like ladder structure.
Third, though Elite is free to other platforms now, it's not coming to Wii U ... yet. Nevin Dravinski, producer Call of Duty Black Ops II, says that there is no current plans to bring it to Wii U at the moment. But he said Treyarch will come back to the issue again if there’s a huge demand for it on the system. As for Wii U online play itself, players don’t have to worry about an Xbox Live Gold-type subscription fee. Online play will be free out of the box. No additional purchases after you pick up the game.
Fourth, when it comes to friends list, an Activision representative said it will work like the services on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 "except you can only add people you've met in a game. You cannot type a tag in and send a friend request." As for jumping into friends's games, players will be able to hook up with buddies they see on their list and join their game. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the Wii U infrastructure will work out.
THE CHANGES WITH THE WII U GAMEPAD: Lastly, the big and obvious difference between this Black Ops II and the others is the touchscreen on the Wii U Gamepad. In the multiplayer mode, that’s where the radar sits along with virtual buttons for the perks that build up with kills and helping a team on an objective. With the radar on the Gamepad, there’s more of the screen to look at though the game on the big screen doesn’t run at 1080p, according to Ramon Aranda of GottGame.
If you’re playing and say the significant other wants to watch The Voice on TV. You can seamlessly transfer the game from the big screen to the Wii U Gamepad screen. On the smaller screen, it looks nearly the same. The only difference is that the radar is in the upper left. There’s no noticeable lag that can ruin a match. A player can just plug in headphones to listen to the sound and frag on while the girlfriend watches people sing their guts out.
BONUS POINTS
As the trailers and demos have shown, Call of Duty: Black Ops II takes place in the near future. With the new sci-fi tech, players have some interesting new weapons such as a Guardian turret that shoots out microwaves that fry anyone that comes close. That's gonna be a huge weapon for Domination games. Players can also call on drones, which work just like the helicopter gunships in the previous games.
I do like how streaks are awarded by score so that those who may not be the best marksman can still access those higher level bonuses.
We played on a map called Cargo that's based in Singapore. The map constantly changes as ship containers are moved throughout the battlefield. And yes, those who aren't careful can have a crate land on them.
Image courtesy of Activision
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